Implants are used often in medical applications for implantation in an animal body and/or human body permanently or at least for an extended period of time to perform replacement functions. Examples would be e.g. cardiac pacemakers, brain pacemakers for Parkinson's patients, cardiac implants, cochlear implants, retinal implants, dental implants, joint replacement implants, vascular prostheses or stents.
A stent is made known in US 2009/0248136 A1 that comprises serpentine struts, in the case of which the dilation of the stent using a telescoping ratchet mechanism irreversibly changes a length of the respective struts in dilation.